One the way into Kukes, we stopped at a coffee shop overlooking a lake (or maybe Resevoir). It had been emptied back in September and was already filling back up. Not sure why the water was so green, but it was pretty enough while enjoying a coffee before getting into the city.

Kukës is the kind of place most travelers pass by without realizing an entire world exists beneath their feet. In the mountains of northern Albania, the city hides a network of underground tunnels built during the communist era – cold, echoing concrete corridors meant to protect civilians in case of invasion. Today, stepping into them feels like slipping into a preserved fragment of the past…. with creepy vibes.

The city itself was rebuilt after the original Kukës was flooded during a hydroelectric project, and these tunnels—once sealed, forgotten, or used quietly by locals—have slowly resurfaced as one of the area’s most fascinating secrets. They are opening back up as a means to draw in tourists, and I was a sucker for it. I hired a local guide for 20 Euro. I was picked up in an old car in the city by the guide who drive me into the hillside to enter the tunnels through an Ivy covered door. It’s dark, cold, damp, and unemotional. It’s definitely one of those experiences where I wondered if I’d end up locked away forever in a hidden room… Faded symbols, ventilation shafts, and reinforced door frames remind you these weren’t built for comfort; they were built for survival.

Exploring the tunnels isn’t polished tourism. It’s raw, local, and wonderfully off-the-beaten-path. You’ll need sturdy shoes, a flashlight, and a guide who knows which tunnels are stable and which are better left untouched. But if you love history that still feels alive—or the thrill of stepping into a place most travelers never see—Kukës delivers an unforgettable, quietly haunting experience.